Stephen Myler kept alive Northampton's dream of their first-ever
league and cup double as he helped stretch one of the longest unbeaten
runs in English rugby.

With the LV= Cup safely in the Franklin's Gardens trophy cabinet,
the Saints took a huge step towards guaranteeing their place in the
end-of-season Guinness Premiership play-offs with this win over Wasps.

And it was Myler, left out of the starting line-up, who was cast in
the role of hero, scoring a 70th-minute drop goal with his first touch
to take Northampton 11-9 ahead, finishing the job three minutes later
with a penalty.

Letter of the Lawes: Northampton's Courtney Lawes breaks through the Wasps defence

The Saints have won their last 21 games at Franklin's Gardens since Newcastle triumphed there in February, 2009. And it is easy to see why after this victory, as they clearly never feel beaten at their East Midlands home.

Wasps dominated territory and possession for large parts of this top-of-the-table clash but it still didn't stop Northampton racking up their 13th League win of the season, the best record in the division.

They were made to fight hard by Wasps for this victory, which took them 13 points clear of fifth-placed London Irish.With five games left, they are unlikely to be overtaken.

A Dave Walder penalty on 65 minutes sent Wasps into a 9-8 lead before Myler's kicking double gave Northampton the four points.

In the lead: Nothampton's Stephen Myler slots a drop goal

The best news for Wasps, and England, was the return to action of Tom Rees, who in his first 80 minutes looks ready to throw down a powerful challenge to make England's summer tour to Australia and New Zealand.

But Wasps' chance of picking up their first away win in 2010 really vanished in the first 40 minutes and Northampton played their get-out-of-jail-free card with the last move of a first half.

With the boot of Danny Cipriani misfiring to the extent that he missed two straightforward kicks at goal, the Londoners only led 6-3 as the match moved into the last minute of the half.

But that lead promptly evaporated as a Roger Wilson try took the Saints in 8-6 ahead at the break. Wasps self-destructed by handing Neil Best a lineout on halfway.

First Shane Geraghty and then props Brian Mujati and Soane Tonga'uiha took the ball deep into the opposition 22.

Wasps had no answer to the waves of Northampton attacks which finally
led to Bruce Reihana sending a looping pass to Wilson on the right wing
and James Downey's block prevented Tom Varndell from stopping the
Irishman diving over in the corner.

Collision course: Northampton's Chris Ashton hunts for the ball

Cipriani did mange to find his radar twice in the first period to send Wasps into the lead, but with the Londoners throwing away countless chances to score it was only a matter of time before the home side created one of their own.

The only thing that seems to be going wrong at Franklin's Gardens this season is the club's campaign to redevelop their ground, which is being blocked by the local council.

The latest opposition led Northampton's multi-millionaire owner Keith Barwell to threaten a political campaign, against the Liberal Democrat council.

'I will fight tooth and nail against the council's blinkered policy,' said Barwell last night. 'And if that doesn't work in the short term, then in a little over a year there will be another borough council election.

'We will try very hard to get rid of them. In this town, preventing the rugby club expanding isn't likely to be a vote winner.'